The man who groomed 12-year-olds

THE Guardia Civil in Malaga have detained a man on suspicion of pretending to be a modelling agency scout and using this position to take pictures of a 12-year-old girl.

The suspect was arrested when he went to meet the girl in order to take her to his studio.

The man would introduce himself as the owner and chief talent scout of a modelling agency and use this to persuade the young girls that he could launch their careers but there was just one catch: they would have to model naked.

The victim, a 12-year-old, told her mother about the matter and, when the mother had found out a little more about the matter, she went straight to the police to denounce the case. The man was arrested almost immediately when he went to meet his victim.

The detainee first contacted the victim through the social networks and, allegedly, passed himself off as Miguel Beltran, a real and very well-known person, who runs a modelling agency in Malaga out of which came, among others, Miss Spain, Elisabeth Reyes, and Mister World, Juan Garcia – both from Malaga.

According to investigation sources the suspect would offer to make a models book for the young victim and even told her to bring her friends along to his photographic studio as they might also be photographed. The victim took fright and told her mother who then continued to chat to the suspect over the social networks to try to find out exactly what was going on. After a while of chatting the suspect suggested a meeting and a photo session in which he guaranteed that he would play with the lighting in order to maintain the girl’s modesty when she was naked.

When the man turned up to the meeting the police arrested him.

The suspect stands accused of abusing minors.

Investigations are ongoing as police suspect that there may be more victims who have not yet come forward.